baseball_seatsThe NCAA has this bizarre way of labeling things to their liking to beset their issue of the day. Whether it’s with Football Bowl Subdivision, or student-athlete, college sports’ premiere governing body certainly loves their wordsmith-ing, and that’s fine. But I, like so many others, have to draw the line at Opening Round Game, which is just a varnished way of saying, “We’re dead set on screwing one conference champion out of the NCAA tournament experience.”

First of all, they play the damn thing in Dayton, which is just Cleveland built down to 1:4 scale. Secondly, that game has to share the world’s indifference with the other nonsensical tournament games of the NIT, CBI, and CIT. And the game doesn’t really “open” the tournament in anybody’s eyes. Was the game even on TV last night?

Oh, by the way, Arkansas-Pine Bluff won the game last night. I know, I know, try to contain your excitement. I didn’t pick them in my bracket last night. Oh right, nobody has to pick that game for their brackets. And that might be the most damning aspect of all about the play-in game. Not only does nobody care about the game, but there really isn’t any need. Also.